Adam Stenavich made some comments about a rookie’s first start
Adam Stenavich didn’t know Zach Tom would be his starting left tackle last Saturday night. The Packers’ offensive coordinator found out David Bakhtiari would be unable to play against the Washington Commanders Sunday morning. The Packers’ coaching staff had to decide what to do with their offensive line. They Could shuffle Elgton Jenkins and Yosh Nijman around. Or they could keep the combo they had set for their game plan earlier in the week and plug in a rookie.
The Packers went with giving a rookie his first start. Stenavich told reporters in Thursday’s press conference that they had faith in Tom, as he has shown weekly improvement this season. Stenavich said Tom did well considering the circumstances the Packers put him in after Bakhtiari’s injury.
“The moment wasn’t too big for him,” Stenavich said. “[Tom] didn’t have the wide-eyed look you’re hoping not to see from a rookie. But he did a great job. He competed. He didn’t have any mental mistakes or anything like that. For the most part, he just battled his butt off. I was happy to see that.”
Stenavich was asked if the Packers still plan on giving Tom help in the future if he starts. Tom received plenty of chip help during the game against the Commanders. Stenavich said it would be up to how the rookie starts progressing after his first start.
“The more that he shows he can handle stuff, then you don’t have to worry about game planning wise as far as chipping and stuff like that,” Stenavich said.
Tom is close, but he’s not there yet
Tom played well, given that the fourth-round tackle found out he’d be starting for the Packers at the most challenging offensive line position just hours before kickoff. The Packers need him to make quick progress, though. It appears Bakhtiari’s instability will be a problem all season. Adam Stenavich made it clear that Tom is doing well but must get better for the Packers. The more the Packers have to game plan around his flaws, the harder it will be for the team to move the ball downfield efficiently.
1 Comment
What about Rodgers over throwing his wr in game. He should be put under fire for the way he played the first 7 games